After a whole mega ton of coffee (sorry kidneys) not enough sleep, learning a whole lot of new things about importing/exporting large amounts of data and just how many ways you can do this, not enough sleep, more coffee, proofing, a wee bit of hysterical laughter, editing and proofing again all while on the phone with Steph or sometimes Stephen (I lovingly think of them as my Ste’s) we are here at registration announcement day. I kid you not.

The letter below is about to go out to all of you lovely knitters on our mailing list.

Ok. Nap time right?

Dear Knitters,

The Sock Summit Team would like to announce that registration for Sock Summit 2011 will take place Wednesday, the 4th of May at 12:00 pm PDT.

A very great many changes have been made to the registration process this go round, and all of them have been designed to make registration faster, easier, smoother and not melt down any servers anywhere no matter how many knitters try to do so at the same time. As a response to the number of knitters who didn’t get spots last time, this year, we’ve added more classes and more teachers. We find all of this terrifically reassuring, and hope that you do too.

While you get ready for registration, please spend some time perusing our amazing selection of Teachers, Classes and Events, and have a good look at the schedule. Monday, instructions and a walk through for registration will be posted on the registration page of our site, and we hope you’ll have a good look at that too, so that you’re ready when we go live.

As always, it’s an honour and a privilege to work for all of you. Running a sock conference is an unlikely and wonderful job, and we’re grateful that we get the chance.

Wow, and you know, that might just sum it up for me. Wow! It’s been about 3 hours since we launched the update to all of the happenings (well, not all, we still have a few surprises tucked in our cuffs) of our second little sock knitting party and I still feel a bit dizzy with it all.

Everything is looking as it should which for a non-techie always seems a bit magical. I still think there is some little person in there making all that code jive. He does all this dressed in a tux grooving to Al Green.

We have our teachers and all the classes this talented knitterly group teach. There are some crazy cool classes, twinkle toes, tubular bind off and pretty much anything Judith teaches. We feel like if it has anything to do with sock knitting we have got it here. You know, the whole time Steph and I were deciding on classes and working on the schedule (let’s hear it for Post-It’s of Power and Filemaker database), we kept lamenting (ok, whining) over the fact that we would not get to take any of these. It cracked me up so much that really what we both were saying was, “Hey, I really want to go to Sock Summit”. I think that’s a good sign.

The exact same thing happened as we were mapping out the Marketplace floor and looking at the array of artisans coming and what their craft or specialty is and then where they should go. It’s a bit like putting together a puzzle. I think the marketplace is our version of Joseph’s Techniclolour Dreamcoat.

As we are puzzling this all out and assembling both, Steph and I often stop and appreciate where we are. We are two very lucky women to be working with so many talented quality people. This well spun,firmly knit community is what makes this all so wonderful, what feeds us down to our warm woolly clad soles. All of you, from our generous supportive sponsors, honestly your faith in us is quite humbling, to our loyal capable hard working staff (again, humbling), every single volunteer who gives of themselves and lastly but in no way least every single knitter takes part in our ever expanding sole searching journey without whom none of this would be possible.

As always, if you have any questions please email us from the contact us page of the Sock Summit site.

So it turns out that it’s the meetings that make the world go around. This week is a whirlwind of Sock Summit meetings. Steph and I are meeting with everyone remotely associated with anything we do Summitwise. So far we’ve charmed and worried the folks at the convention center. It was the sheep that did it for them this time. We’ve challenged DWA to look come up with some more creative ways to showcase while having fun, not killing our feet, being environmentally friendly and again not hurting our feet. All while staying within our budget.

I love this part of the process the brainstorming ( I know a little scary) and dreaming of possibilities. It’s a very different process this time because we don’t have to sell any of these people on us. They get it, well most of it anyway, And even if they don’t there is the proof of what they saw with their own eyes and experienced and now they are really willing to work with us to help us manifest our vision. A refreshing change that I have to say if I’m being completely honest has me just a little worried. I think it’s about having the wall taken down. When you’re constantly pushing against a something and then the wall is taken down or maybe even just come loose. Well it’s just a little disconcerting.

It’s a good change and one both Steph and I have been working towards. I’m sure my unease will pass. I just hope I still get to negotiate. I love the spice trader aspect of all of this so much. I know it should worry me but it doesn’t.

Today we start the day with our legal team and move on to the accounting and the books. While they are still a few brain cells left we’ll head to the filemaker folks in the afternoon. Luckily ( wicked planning on my part0 we end the day with our graphic team.

Today is one of those days that has after burners. I’ve had this sneaking suspicion all morning that I’m forgetting something really important. I know one thing I haven’t forgotten though. Today is August 6 and on this day one year ago Steph and our team of awesomeness ( Debbi, Rachel, Joann, Debra, Lisa …) were on our way to the Oregon Convention Center to get the Sock Summit show up and running.

In some ways it feels like it has been more than a year ago and in others it seems like it was just yesterday. I think this is true for big life moments and this most certainly was a very big life moment for me. The whole thing was from the first tiny spark of thought to signing the last check and mailing it off.

I remember that ride from Scappoose to PDX like it was yesterday. So much excitement laced with a healthy amount of terror. What a ride.

I wish I had time this morning to list all the ways this changed my life, all the ways I feel I grew. I wish I had time to honor all the people that showed up and gave all they had to give. I think I just might wish there was more time, which is really quite hysterical since we’re on the this journey again.

I’m just so excited to be able to do this again with the best partner anyone could hope to have and just the best rock star team.

Stay tuned… for so much more.

ohh no, look at the clock. Gotta run. A wee bit late for a very important date.

Here are just a few of my favourite moments:

Anna Z and Barbara W. chatting for the first time ever.

Team shenanigans set-up.

“You will too wear this walkie talkie Newton. Don’t even.”

All those knitters strolling. Alice and Denny strolling.

The hand jive and poodle skirts and RachelH’s spirit.

Knitters all lines up for our marketplace and Debbi, Steph and I leading them with 99 skeins of yarn.

So much color and so much talent. As I said earlier this has been such a joy

One of the things that’s been super about the whole Sock Summit thing (and we think the fact that we can still think of super things is a very good sign) is the way that every time one of us has a big idea, it’s caught on like magic and spread like wildfire. One of the most fantastic things has been the Dye for Glory contest over at Ravelry – which accomplished exactly what we were hoping, that dyers would get a little face time, that we would all get to see some of their clever work and that they might sell a little yarn and boost their businesses. (I know that worked because one several of my favourite skeins didn’t win and I still intend to hunt them down and buy them in the Marketplace.)

In the end, 14 557 people voted and 154 828 votes were cast, and the masses have spoken.

Hop on over to the Results Page and you can see the grand and glorious winners, and if you’d like to see them in person, we’re going to round up a skein of each and put them in the Colour me Crazy Booth for the whole world to see. Congratulations Dyers. We love the way you do things, and a thousand thanks to Casey, Jess, Mary-Heather from Ravelry. You’re pretty freakin’ awesome too.

You all have voted and I mean you all have voted, over 10,000 voters with over 150,000 votes. How cool is that eh?

Thanks to all the dyers who contributed their lovely work and everyone who voted and Casey, Jess and Mary- Heather for all of their hard work on this.

I am hoping this is in fact true. I have been trying to find some quiet moments to share with you all that is going on here. From all the beautiful knitting we are receiving for the museum, the stories and the community spirit that is creating it,

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to seeing the banners and sign in front of the Convention Center,

to receiving the Proclamation from the Mayor declaring next week Sock Knitting week in Portland,

to all the meetings and the work, the seemingly never ending work.

Top it off with a bit of hysteria laced terror and well what a ride.

Steph and I keep equating this experience with childbirth. The similarities are exact and we are now in the pushing phase and pretty soon we are going to have a brand spanking new little Sock Summit.

…in a long time. Actually, more like 30 minutes that I just spent approving entries in the Dye for Glory contest on Ravelry. I read all the stories and inspiration and looked at all the stunning colorways. Holy smokes dyers, you so rocked this out. I laughed and cried ( despite what Steph says I do not do this all the time) and I am heartwarmed and tickled and just thrilled.There is local color (yeah stumptown!) and those that are traveling that have made the connection between where they are and the road they are taking to be here. All the different ways we are inspired and how we translate that into color onto yarn and then…well, knitted goodness.

Look at this! Seriously this is really is quite extraordinary…don’t you think? I do and I think I might be a bit head over heels with every single one of you.

Thank you

p.s. Thank you Casey, Jess and Mary-Heather for helping us celebrate this diverse colorful world of ours.

As of last night all the socks are claimed by knitters who are casting on our Sock Museum dream.

So now the next step (besides the knitting and displaying and importing information, photos, creating tags and…) and that is for everyone to contribute ideas. What do you feel should be here? We know of quite a bit more that should be here but there truly are only so many hours in the day do no matter how hard we try to create more or how delusional optimistic we are. Creating this together in research, ideas and knitting makes it all of ours and a pretty wicked kal.

Doing the research is quite enlightening,fun and can lead you down a windy fascinating knit path.

The historians we had work on this added what they specialize in and that is mostly western. It was and is our hope that our very large ( we know) global community of sock knitters will be inspired to bring in their own cultures or better yet pick one that you are not familiar with and get familiar. Kind if a where in the world sock game. Who wore what, where and when on their feet and how did they knit them. Oh and out of what?

That is just on the historical and cultural significant end of things. Is there a sock that you think was iconic that you do not see? I thought of several this morning from the past six months or so.

Also consider sock fashions and trends.

So many socks so little time… The Sock Museum will be growing, expanding and appropriately be a continued WIP.

Please brainstorm socks, and submit your ideas, they will go to our board and we will get back to you asap.

ok, I am off to find my kilt hose book. I know I had it last week where did I put that thing?

p.s. It is in the plan to make this an exhibit that is museum quality and can be available to be shown. We are still working on this aspect ( it is a lot of work).

p.p.s. Thank you Candice Gansen for such a lovely Sock Museum site. We love it!